RomaCraft Neanderthal HN | Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Are you a psychopath? Do you like absurd amounts of nicotine? Maybe addiction problems? Then I have the cigar for you! Buckle up boys, today we are looking at the RomaCraft Neanderthal HN, a cigar packed with flavor and alkaloids. This beast features the notorious Green River Valley Sucker One Double Ligero from Pennsylvania - a tobacco so strong they had to add five other fillers just to balance it out. It's like adding vegetables to your kid's mac and cheese, except the mac and cheese wants to fight you.

BUY NEANDERTHAL HERE

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Neanderthal HN

Master Blender: Skip Martin & Esteban Disla

Size: 5 x 52/58 (Figurado)

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés

Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf

Filler: Dominican Olor, Nicaraguan (Condega, Jalapa, Pueblo Nuevo, Estelí), Pennsylvania Green River Valley Sucker One Double Ligero

MSRP: $14.00

Aging: Fresh from Nica Sueño factory

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Perfect. Like breathing through a $100 bill.

Burn: Straighter than your uncle's political opinions at Thanksgiving

Smoke Output: Thick as morning fog in San Francisco

Ash: Holds like it's got separation anxiety

Good construction with a single skinny burnt orange and white band (a tribute to Skip Martin's Texas Longhorns obsession). The flat cap is a little weird but what can you do - it's like a haircut your mom gave you in third grade, functional but questionable. Great smoke production immediately on light up. The unique figurado shape resembles Frankenstein's head on top and a bowling pin on the bottom. The wrapper has a gritty look with oils and magnesium bumps that make it look like it just finished a CrossFit workout.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD

espresso, pepper/retro, cacao, earth

Espresso leads the charge with enough intensity to make your barista jealous. Pepper dominates the retrohale while cacao provides a sweet counterpoint. Earth rounds out the opening, creating a profile that's basically what would happen if Starbucks opened a cigar lounge. The Pennsylvania Double Ligero announces its presence immediately - this isn't your grandmother's mild Connecticut, unless your grandmother was a longshoreman who chewed tobacco for breakfast.

SECOND THIRD

espresso, dark chocolate, oak, leather 

Espresso maintains its dominance while dark chocolate emerges, creating a mocha profile that would cost $8 at any coffee shop with exposed brick walls. Oak enters the mix alongside leather, adding complexity that justifies why you're smoking this instead of attending your cousin's gender reveal party. The velvet smoke texture coats your palate like an overly affectionate golden retriever - persistent but somehow still welcome.

FINAL THIRD: EARTH, WIND & FIRE (MINUS THE WIND)

earth, pepper, leather, charred oak

Earth takes center stage, grounding the experience like your accountant during tax season. Pepper returns with vengeance on the retrohale, joined by leather and charred oak. The long finish lingers like that friend who doesn't understand social cues at the end of a party. The full strength really shows here - if nicotine was a personality trait, this would be that guy who brings his own hot sauce to restaurants.

BUY NEANDERTHAL HERE

🏆 THE VERDICT:

A- TIER

Flavor: A

Construction: A-

Availability: B+

Price: B+

The Neanderthal is a beefy full-bodied stick that delivers good strong flavors throughout with a velvet smoke texture and long finish. This isn't just strong for the sake of being strong - it's balanced and complex, like a bodybuilder who also reads poetry. Full strength and full body mean this isn't for beginners unless they enjoy lying down unexpectedly.

📊BOTTOM LINE

RomaCraft created a cigar that's basically natural selection in action - smoke this and either evolve or tap out. The Green River Valley Sucker One Double Ligero isn't just marketing speak; it's a legitimate warning label that should come with a waiver. But here's the thing: it's actually excellent. The blend is masterfully balanced despite containing enough nicotine to make a horse reconsider its life choices. At around $13-15, it's reasonably priced for a cigar that doubles as both a smoking experience and a sobriety test. Skip Martin and team have created something that separates the casual smokers from those who view nicotine tolerance as a competitive sport.

TLDR: A paleolithic powerhouse that delivers complex flavors alongside enough strength to make you see your ancestors - perfect for masochists with refined palates.

God of Fire Don Carlos 2020 by Arturo Fuente - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

When Prometheus stole fire from Zeus, he probably didn't expect it to end up as a $30 cigar collaboration with the Fuente family. This annual limited release is harder to find than a reasonable explanation for why Caldwell cigars exist. The God of Fire Don Carlos is what happens when Arturo Fuente and Prometheus decide to make cigars instead of therapy their expensive hobby. Made once a year in quantities that would make Supreme drops look abundantly available, retailers literally limit you to one per customer - like you're buying Sudafed or trying to adopt a rescue dog.

BUY GOD OF FIRE HERE or CIGARS HERE

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: God of Fire Don Carlos 2020

Master Blender: Fuente

Size: 5 1/4 x 50 Robusto

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Ecuadorian

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Price: ~$29-35 (if you can find it)

Aging: Years of aging before release, then likely years in your humidor while you wait for an occasion worthy enough

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Perfect. At least almost.

Burn: Straighter than your uncle after a few bourbons

Smoke Output: adequate

Ash: I ashed myself

Great construction from Fuente - this isn't some gas station impulse buy. Great smoke production from the jump with a slightly tight draw that's more selective than a bouncer at Berghain. The golden Ecuadorian wrapper gleams like the retirement watch you'll never get because pensions don't exist anymore. Each cigar comes with two bands: one showing Prometheus getting torched by Zeus (relatable), and another with the year - because even cigars need vintage dating profiles now.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: THE BAKERY HEIST

sweet bread, butter, slight spice, cedar, slight fruit 

Sweet bread opens the show like walking past a Parisian bakery you can't afford to enter. Butter joins immediately, creating a pastry profile that would make Paul Hollywood weep. Slight spice tickles the retrohale while cedar provides structure. A hint of fruit peeks through - subtle, like your friend's attempts to mention their Peloton without actually mentioning their Peloton. The 93-point rating starts making sense immediately.

SECOND THIRD: THE CEDAR SITUATION

cedar, dried fruit, toast, leather

Cedar takes command while dried fruit emerges, creating a profile that tastes like expensive furniture smells. Toast replaces the sweet bread, adding a charred element that pairs with emerging leather notes. The Dominican tobacco shows its pedigree here - this is what happens when tobacco gets a liberal arts education and a trust fund. The complexity builds like the plot of a prestige TV show you'll never finish.

FINAL THIRD: THE LEATHER LOUNGE

leather, charred cedar, dried fruit

Leather dominates the finale with the confidence of someone who replies-all on purpose. Charred cedar intensifies, bringing campfire notes without the part where someone brings an acoustic guitar. Dried fruit maintains its presence, sweet but refined, like finding out your Uber driver has a PhD. The finish is long and contemplative - this is a cigar that went to therapy and did the work.

BUY GOD OF FIRE HERE or CIGARS HERE

🏆 THE VERDICT:

A+ TIER

Flavor: A+

Construction: A

Availability: C-

Price: B+ (It's $30 but actually worth it)

Final Rating:

This is what happens when Fuente decides to flex. The blend showcases why people camp outside cigar shops for Fuente releases like they're waiting for sneaker drops. The progression from buttery pastry to leather-wrapped luxury is smoother than your excuses for being late to brunch.

📊BOTTOM LINE

The God of Fire Don Carlos 2020 is proof that sometimes gatekeeping is justified. At ~

$30 per stick with a one-per-customer limit, this isn't just a cigar - it's a flex that actually backs it up with substance. The collaboration between Fuente and Prometheus created something that lives up to its mythological namesake, assuming Prometheus was really into notes of butter and cedar. Finding these requires either connections, patience, or a willingness to trade your firstborn (check local laws first). But when you do find one, you're holding liquid gold that happens to be flammable - which is probably what Prometheus had in mind all along.

TLDR: Buy it if you find it, even if you do or do not have the money.

Chimolly The 'Dynasty' Series | Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

I don't know about you, but every single time I say Chimolly I say "holy" right before it. That's right, we're reviewing the Holy Chimolly. Why do I do such a thing? I have absolutely no idea. Maybe ask your mom. Founded in 2024 by Zhuofeng Weng, Chimolly started out as a cigar accessory company making handmade porcelain ashtrays before storming the scene with some bangers of sticks. I've worked my way through their entire catalog, and every single stick hits, and they hit real nice. Can you find these anywhere? Probably not. If you can, should you buy them? Probably yes.

BUY CIGARS HERE or BUY CHIMOLLY HERE

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: The 'Dynasty' Series Robusto E

Master Blender: Zhuofeng Weng - From ashtrays to ash makers, the ultimate career pivot

Size: 6 x 50

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo

Binder: Mexican San Andrés

Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican

Price: $16-18

Aging: Fresh from February 2025 release

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Perfect. Like breathing through a $100 bill.

Burn: Straighter than your uncle's political opinions at Thanksgiving

Smoke Output: Thick as morning fog in San Francisco

Ash: Holds like it's got separation anxiety

The Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper presents with a beautiful sheen and excellent construction from the Mi Havana Factory in Estelí. The blue band distinguishes this Dynasty from their red-banded Pangu sibling. Chimolly's "It's all about texture" philosophy delivers immediately - the smoke has a creamy, syrupy quality that coats the palate like an overzealous CBD salesman at a farmers market. Which is probably why I LOVE these sticks. Texture over flavor every day. FIGHT ME! No draw issues, no burn problems, just solid construction from a brand that's newer than most of your streaming subscriptions.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: THE PEANUT GALLERY

roasted peanuts, light spice/retro, bread

Roasted peanuts dominate the opening, creating that ballpark atmosphere without the $15 beer. Light spice tickles the retrohale while bread notes provide a foundation. The combination creates a PB sandwich profile minus the jelly - basically what you ate in college when the dining hall was closed, but at least this time it's intentional.

SECOND THIRD: THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

almonds, toast, light spice/retro, leather, light dried fruit

The peanuts evolve into almonds like your friend's dietary restrictions after their third wellness retreat. Toast replaces bread, adding a charred element that pairs beautifully with the continuing light spice. Leather enters alongside hints of dried fruit. The Mexican San Andrés binder shows its influence here, adding depth while maintaining that signature creamy texture.

FINAL THIRD: CEDAR POINT

charred cedar, toast, leather

Charred cedar takes command, bringing campfire vibes without the awkward silence of actual camping. Toast maintains its presence while leather intensifies. The Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers finally show their full character, delivering a robust but balanced finish that lasts longer than most people's gym memberships.

BUY CIGARS HERE or BUY CHIMOLLY HERE

🏆 THE VERDICT:

A- TIER

Flavor: A

Construction: A-

Availability: D (Good luck finding these)

Price: B+

For a company that launched in 2024, the Dynasty punches above its weight class. The blend shows sophistication beyond what you'd expect from a second release. At $16-18 it's priced like it knows what it's doing - bold for a newcomer but the quality backs up the confidence like a trust fund kid who actually earned their promotion.

📊BOTTOM LINE

The Holy Chimolly Dynasty delivers a journey from roasted nuts to charred wood that feels both familiar and unique. This isn't just another Nicaraguan factory pumping out me-too blends for Instagram cigar bros. Weng has created something with actual identity, even if finding these requires the dedication of someone hunting for Taylor Swift tickets. The texture philosophy isn't just marketing - it's a legitimate differentiator in a market more saturated than your uncle's Facebook feed with political memes.

TLDR: If you can find em, buy em - just remember to say "holy" first.